Advocacy & Public Policy

Effects of the elections on the nonprofit community

Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, HANO’s national affiliate, issued a public statement on Nov. 4 on the impact of the election on the nonprofit community and its policy agenda:

“While much ink will be spilled about the Republicans claiming the majority in the House and the Democrats retaining the Senate, the truth for charitable nonprofits is that we are nonpartisan; no one political party has all the answers for all segments of the nonprofit community, and there are people of good faith and good will in both political parties. Nonprofits will work with whoever is in office to improve lives and strengthen our communities because elected officials and nonprofits serve the same people in the same communities.

“The split leadership in the U.S. House and Senate significantly narrows the consensus agenda that can get passed at the federal level. Therefore, perhaps now more than ever, the heavy-duty policy action will be occurring at the state level, where so many of the issues affecting nonprofits typically get resolved. That’s where the greatest opportunities and threats will arise, so nonprofits need to get involved in their state associations of nonprofits to advance and protect their interests locally."

Federal Elections

Delaney made these observations after reviewing the election results that shifted majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives to Republicans while narrowing the Democratic majority in the Senate:

  • House Departures: Republican takeover of the House resulted from the defeat of 49 Democratic Representatives and the pickup of several open seats. Two Republicans lost their re-election bids as well. Three Democratic committee chairmen were defeated, as well as Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N. Dak.), who was the lead sponsor of both the estate tax extension and the IRA charitable rollover legislation.
  • House Ways and Means Committee: The leadership of the House tax-writing committee appears safely in the hands of Michiganders next year, although their titles will change. Current Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-Mich.) is expected to become chairman, replacing Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) who will likely serve as the top Democrat on the committee. Two Ways and Means members were defeated – Reps. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) and Earl Pomeroy (D-N. Dak.) – and five others retired. Due to the change in majority, half a dozen or more Republicans will be named to the powerful committee and a few Democrats may lose their committee assignments.
  • Senate Finance Committee: The Senate Finance Committee will remain under the leadership of Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), but the job of Ranking Member switches from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) as a result of Republican rules in the Senate. The committee is losing one member due to retirement, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), and another to defeat, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). Because of the smaller majority in the Senate, Republicans may be adding another Senator to the panel.
  • Nonprofit Sector and Community Solutions Act: Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and most, but not all, of her Nonprofit Sector Act co-sponsors are returning next year. At this writing, two of the 20 co-sponsors were defeated for re-election: Reps. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) and James Oberstar (D-Minn.). The original Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Vern Ehlers of Michigan, is retiring.
  • Philanthropy Caucus: Perhaps the most impressive showing comes from the retained membership of the bi-partisan Senate and House Philanthropy Caucuses. All eleven members of the Senate caucus are returning and each of the more than 40 members of the House caucus running in Tuesday’s General Election were re-elected, although Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S. Car.) lost to a primary challenger.
More election analysis for nonprofits:

The first issue of Nonprofit Policy Forum is now available. This is the first professional journal devoted specifically to nonprofit public policy at every level: local, state or province, national, and international. The Forum’s editor-in-chief is Dennis R. Young, director of the nonprofit studies program at Georgia State University and National Council of Nonprofits board member.